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Papalo

Papalo is a strongly aromatic herb from the Americas commonly used fresh in tacos, salsas, and bean dishes.

Papalo — illustrative ingredient image

About Papalo

Papalo is a pungent leafy herb used primarily fresh in tacos, salsas, bean dishes, soups, and other regional foods. It may be served as a table herb, garnish, or part of a fresh herb mixture, where its pronounced flavor can dominate milder greens.

Its leaves have a distinctive aroma and a flavor often described as strongly herbal, resinous, citrus-like, or peppery. Intensity varies with leaf age and growing conditions. The leaves are generally thin and somewhat delicate, and may be served whole, torn, or chopped.

Fresh leaves are the usual culinary form and are often added near serving. Papalo may be sold as whole foliage or prepared leaves; dried or cooked forms are less characteristic and may lose aromatic intensity, while chopping changes how its flavor disperses.

Ingredient type
whole food

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Where papalo appears

3 linked foods

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Main dishes

Street food

Ingredient connections awaiting review · Coverage is still growing, including packaged snacks.

Name examples awaiting language review. Confirm the specific food or product.

Local names for papalo

Names and romanised forms to recognise on menus and labels.

English

Papalo

Available names only. Languages may be spoken in other countries; a name alone does not identify every ingredient in a dish.

Papalo nutrition & diet

Papalo nutritional value

Representative benchmark: Spices, not further specified

Representative nutrition benchmarkOfficial table values for a comparable food category, not a laboratory measurement of this exact ingredient.

Per 100 g of 100 g edible portion in the named official reference form.

Calories
349kcal
Protein
12.1g
Carbs
30.5g
Fat
14.5g

Representative benchmark from a comparable official food-composition category; it is not a laboratory measurement of this exact ingredient. The displayed reference form must be considered, and species, cultivar, recipe, brand, processing and preparation can change values.

Portions & preparation

Papalo is usually eaten fresh, with tender leaves and sometimes young stems added near serving to preserve its pronounced aroma. Remove tough or damaged material and assess the amount actually consumed. Cooked, dried, pickled, or blended preparations should not be treated as equivalent to fresh leaves.

Compare the right form: Match a reference to fresh papalo leaves, with the included tender stems identified, rather than dried herb, seed, or another aromatic green.

Diet considerations

Papalo is a plant-derived herb. Fresh leaves are generally a small component of a dish, but compatibility changes when served with cheese, crema, meat, lard, or other animal additions. Salsa, bean, and taco preparations may also contain cereal-based tortillas or processed sauces, so the complete recipe matters.

AI-authored reading notes · Awaiting editorial review. Measured values, where available, have a separate source above.

Dietary compatibility

  • Vegan
    Not established
  • Vegetarian
    Not established
  • Pescatarian
    Not established
  • Keto
    Not established
  • Paleo
    Not established
  • Low-carb
    Not established
  • Halal
    Not established
  • Kosher
    Not established
What these diet assessments mean
Vegan · Not established
The available profile does not establish the full composition or processing for this dietary pattern.
Vegetarian · Not established
The available profile does not establish the full composition or processing for this dietary pattern.
Pescatarian · Not established
The available profile does not establish the full composition or processing for this dietary pattern.
Keto · Not established
A defined serving and sourced carbohydrate data are needed before assessing this dietary pattern.
Paleo · Not established
The ingredient form and processing have not been assessed against this dietary pattern.
Low-carb · Not established
A defined serving and sourced carbohydrate data are needed before assessing this dietary pattern.
Halal · Not established
Sourcing, processing and any applicable certification have not been verified. A food name alone does not establish halal status.
Kosher · Not established
Sourcing, processing and any applicable certification have not been verified. A food name alone does not establish kosher status.

For the plain ingredient · Awaiting review. Diet compatibility is not allergy suitability or halal/kosher certification. Keto and low-carb depend on the portion.

Reviewed ingredient entryIngredient reference · Preparations vary

AI-generated illustration for visual context. It does not identify a particular product or establish allergen content.

Sources & review

Nutrition reference: Pacific Nutrient Database 2020 — 01.1.9.4.0_99 ↗. Values are scaled from 100 g of the recorded edible form. Individual portions have no assumed fixed weight.

Expanded overview, name examples and nutrition notes are database drafts awaiting editorial review. Numeric nutrition values, where shown, have their own source and food-form reference.

The ingredient description and dish connections come from the draft catalogue and may change after review.

Last recorded verification: .